Archive for May 13th, 2007

An elephant has killed a South African hunter on an expedition in northern Botswana, the SAPA news agency reported on Saturday.

Christo Kaiser, 40, the owner of Unico Hunting Safaris in Lephalale (formerly Ellisras), was killed during a trip to try and shoot an elephant on Friday, his close friend Phillip Bronkhorst was quoted as saying.

Kaiser had accompanied four Spanish hunters who wanted to shoot an elephant, said the report, which added that nobody else was injured in the incident.

“He was killed in the northern part of Botswana on Friday morning. He was killed by an elephant,” said Bronkhorst, who gave no further details about the incident.

His body would remain in Maun, Botswana, until a post-mortem had been carried out, SAPA said.

Unico’s website offers hunts with a range of trophies: 250 dollars (185 euros) for a jackal, 12,000 dollars for a buffalo, 29,000 dollars for a lion and and 47,500 dollars for a rhino.

The cost of elephant trophies is available only “on request”, according to the website, SAPA said.

MOLEPOLOLE – Some Bakwena in Molepolole were warned against false declarations and witnessing for foreigners to obtain national identity cards (omang) claiming that they were their relatives who had been staying in neighbouring countries.

The culprits did that in exchange for money after the foreigners acquired o-mang. District Registrar in the Department of Civil and National Registration in Molepolole, Mr Ramaja Sekwale said they investigated five cases and the police were still handling them.

He warned residents of Molepolole to desist from such crimes in a kgotla meeting that Molepolole North MP, Mr Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri addressed at St Paul ward.

Police acting station commander, detective assistant superintendent, Mmoloki Loeto said if the culprits were found guilty, both would be sentenced to six months imprisonment or P500 fine or both, for giving false information.

He said Zimbabwean nationals with Batswana accomplices were said to be the main culprits, saying some Zimbabweans paid around P1000 for assistance to acquire Omang.